


Butterflies & Fireworks

by strawberrylace



Series: Summer Daze [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Fireworks, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Short & Sweet, Summer, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: The timing was never quite right, but tonight just might be it.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Summer Daze [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393936
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Butterflies & Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by a couple of different best friends to lovers AUs that I had seen and wanted to try my hand at writing something super fluffy

There was no denying that there was something between Steve and Bucky. They had been the best of friends since childhood, stuck like glue. There was no one else they trusted more than each other. And yet, that's all they ever were. Best friends. But Bucky had always wondered if they could be more. There had been a few times in their friendship that Bucky thought, perhaps, but there was one moment in particular that he'd always go back to that made him realize he liked Steve more than as a best friend. 

The first time that Bucky felt this way was when he was 17. It was Thanksgiving and Steve came over to celebrate with the Barnes family. Thanksgivings were harder for Steve and Bucky didn't want him to spend the holiday on his own. The moment Steve stepped in the door, it was an ambush of Barnes' that welcomed him into the house. It was a tad bit embarrassing for Bucky to see various family members clamor over his best friend, but nonetheless, Steve was very gracious for the warm welcome. The day went swimmingly and everyone was in good spirits. Dinner was served, drinks were had, and soon the night grew darker. As everyone else was feeling the side effects of eating too much food, Steve and Bucky had snuck off to the roof of Bucky's house, sipping on watered down mulled wine. Steve was recapping the conversations that were had between some of the uncles. He let out this laugh that was as genuine as it was infectious. Bucky turned to Steve and saw the small smile that was on Steve's face. Suddenly, Bucky felt something in his stomach that he hadn't felt before. It wasn't the copious amounts of food he ate, nor was it the wine that he was semi-nursing. No, this was a different feeling that filled up his entire body. He didn't know it at the time but the moment he saw Steve smile like that was the moment he fell in love. 

There had been a few other instances here and there where Bucky really felt those butterflies in his stomach, but nothing ever came close to that moment on his rooftop. No one else ever made him feel the way that Steve did. Bucky wanted to tell him but somehow the time never felt right. But one night was going to change all of that.

It was a late June evening and Steve and Bucky found themselves walking around near their old college campus. The darkness had barely fallen on them and the two old friends were swapping stories about cases, summer classes, and the pitfalls of supporting corporate coffee chains. 

"It's not like it's even that good," said Steve. 

"So why do you go back there then?" Bucky asked. "Considering everything you know, why do you insist on throwing away all that money when you could easily just support a local business?" 

Steve simply shrugged and replied, "I like the people that work there, they're nice." 

Bucky shook his head and chuckled. "That's where your downfall is. You're too nice."

Steve sheepishly smiled back and there it was. On the outside, Bucky had this tough demeanor. He had a face that was especially intimidating when he was in a court room, the kind of guy that no one dared to mess with. But somehow, Steve always managed to crack through Bucky's exterior and make him go soft. It was pretty powerful to say the least. And who could blame him? With eyes as beautiful as the ocean, Steve was pretty damn irresistible.

They had kept walking until Steve had stopped, laying down on the grass and looking out at the night sky.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Bucky asked. 

"All that food, I just needed to lay down here on the grass for a minute," Steve admitted. "My god, it's so peaceful out here." 

Bucky joined him reluctantly, laying down next to him as he looked up at the clear night sky. The stars were becoming more visible and soon the fireworks display would start. There was no night like tonight for Bucky to tell Steve how he really felt. 

"Stars are looking real nice out here," Bucky spoke up. 

"They do," said Steve dreamily. 

Bucky paused for a moment so that he could finally get the nerve to tell Steve the one thing he'd been dying to say for all this time. "But they're nothing compared to the way you look."

Steve looked over at Bucky with wide eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The look that was on Steve's face made Bucky wonder if what he said was wrong. Soon, the worry started to flood over him and he was ready to excuse himself but Steve stopped him as the two of them were now sitting up on the lush grass.

"Bucky," Steve said in a whisper. "How long?" 

"I shouldn't have said anything," Bucky tried to dismiss his feelings, feeling embarrassed. "It's nothing." 

"It's not nothing! How long have you felt this way?" 

Bucky's voice almost faltered when he finally told Steve about that Thanksgiving dinner when he was 17 and being up on that rooftop, how there were feelings he felt that he had never felt before. How, for years, he had been trying to make sense of those feelings but then there were other little moments in their friendship that made him think otherwise. 

"And I guess I never told you about them because I was afraid of losing you," Bucky concluded. "So I kept it all to myself, until now."

Steve was quiet for a minute. He looked up at the night sky, the stars growing more bright and then spoke. "I wish you had told me sooner."

Bucky was surprised at this admission, staring at him with wide eyes. 

"I wasn't entirely sure when it was that I began to feel this way but I somehow just always knew that there was a love I had for you that I couldn't exactly describe," said Steve. "But the older that I got, the more that I realized that perhaps these feelings wouldn't just go away like that. It was a struggle to make sense of it all because I always felt like I could tell you anything. I trust you more than I trust myself at times. But I didn't want to lose you. So I never said anything either." 

Bucky scooted closer to Steve, their hands just barely grazing. "So what does this mean?" Bucky asked with genuine eyes.

"I think," said Steve, his hand just lightly touching Bucky's, "this means that you and I are now more than friends." 

Bucky felt goosebumps creep up and down his arms, the butterflies in his stomach growing in size as he leaned his body over Steve's. "We're more than friends now?" Bucky asked with a hint of playfulness. 

"Yeah, jerk," said Steve, rolling his eyes. "I thought it was obvious!" 

"You're such a punk," Bucky laughed as he leaned in to kiss Steve gently on the lips, right on cue as the fireworks went off in front of them.


End file.
